


You Ever Look Up at the Sky?

by Elementhyde



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Absolute fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, One Shot, Stargazing, Video Game: Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018), sadie and arthur mourn together, sadithur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-01 09:35:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18333371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elementhyde/pseuds/Elementhyde
Summary: Arthur and Sadie find themselves unable to sleep, their mind too preoccupied with the past. They take some time to let it all go and just get lost in nature.





	You Ever Look Up at the Sky?

Arthur sighed, sitting up on his cot, looked tonight was going to be one of the increasingly more common sleepless nights. “Might as well get some chores done.” He grunted as he picked himself up off his cot, chopping wood was off the table, but he was sure the basins could use a refill and there was always work to do with the horses.

The camp was quiet, peaceful in the moonlight, he worked quietly, refilling the water supply around the camp before taking a horse down to the lake to fill the basin. He took his time, enjoying the cool night air, happy to have a bit of down time even if sleep was being fickle.

He hitched up the horse and hauled the basin back to its location near the edge of camp, realizing as he passed that the horses could use more hay, he’d grab that next. He slung the bale over his shoulder as he made his way to the field the moon had made its way high into the night sky, it was a half moon night, and Arthur stopped to look at the sky before placing the bale on the ground with a grunt.

“That’ll do.” He said standing up and stretching out his back, “Don’t say I never did nothin’ for you.” He chuckled, reached out to give Bob a pat. The horse snorted in response and Arthur dropped down under a nearby tree, taking some time to relish the quiet of the night. The footsteps were light, but they approached from the other side of the tree. Arthur held still, not wanting to startle the person who probably didn’t expect for him to be under the tree.

“Here boy.” Followed by a low whistle, Bob picked up his head and trotted up quietly toward Sadie on the other side of the tree.

“I prefer Mr. Morgan, or just Arthur…” Sadie scoffed, and Arthur stood up and rounded the tree. “Couldn’t sleep?” he leaned against the tree. Sadie continued her work with Bob, “Some nights it’s harder than others, you?”

“It’s been a rough couple’a weeks, got a lot on my mind.” He offered up, pushing off the tree and giving Bob a pat, he stood facing Sadie now, his hand still resting on Bob’s mane.

“Wanna take a ride with me, Mrs. Adler? I could use from fresh air, and I think it may do you some good too.” Using his presence to make her direct her attention to him, she sighed and looked up at him.

“I think I need to be alone Mr. Morgan, I ain’t gonna be much company right now.” Her eyes met with Arthur’s, they were warm and soft but extremely tired. The man looked like he hadn’t had a good night sleep in weeks, and he probably hadn’t. Dutch had him running all over for the gang, she had barely seen him more than a couple of time since they came down from Colter.

“Well, I know a place we can be alone…together. Sometimes you need to get away to someplace quiet.” He refused to break the eye contact, his eyes going even softer as he looked at her.

“There is too much to do around here to just go off and mope…” Sadie’s eyes fell back to Bob.

“It’s the middle of the night, ain’t no one gonna mind us taking a break.” Arthur came around the back of Bob, his hand reaching for hers. “Please, you’ll feel better.”

Sadie’s hand relented under his, her shoulders falling as she turned to look at him. “Thanks Arthur, you’re a good man.” He chuckled at that, smile reaching his eyes, she had never seen him genuinely laugh. It looked good on him.

“Let’s get going, it’s a pretty short ride.” He turned towards the field and whistled lowly for his horse, pulling himself into the saddle, turning to meet Sadie as she trotted to meet with him.

The ride was uneventful, the silence between them comfortable as both were individuals of few words, they reached the Eris field as the moon began it’s decent in the sky, hitching up the horses near the base of a small hill, he climbed down and gestured towards the open field.

“Make yourself comfortable” he turned and walked off to the top of the small hill, Sadie stared at him, she didn’t think he really meant for them to be alone. In fact, she had taken the offer so she could have the company, though she never would admit that. She found herself following him up the hill, finding him laying at the top staring up at the stars.

“Mind if I join you?” her voice was soft so as not to startle him, though she knew he heard her, she’d never known the man to let his guard down. Settling down next to him when he waved his hand in confirmation.

“This how you unwind? Didn’t take you for bein’ a stargazer, Mr. Morgan.” Her voice sprinkled with disbelief.

There was no response from the man beyond an annoyed grunt, they sat in tense silence for a few minutes before Arthur offered an olive branch, “Gives me something to lose myself in, to turn everything else off and just live in the now.” His eyes still staring to the heavens.

Sadie had been watching him, this is the first time she had seen him fully relax, even while sleeping in camp he looked ready for anything, but here this body was completely relaxed.

She moved her shoulder to touch his, “What do you know about the stars, Mr. Morgan?”

“Not much…just like the way they paint the sky…” his eyes closed in the darkness as he spoke.

Sadie nudged his shoulder with hers, “Want to learn something about the stars? Jake and I used to spend our nights learning about the stars in the winter. You could really see them all out there in the mountains.”

Arthur opened his eyes to glance over at Sadie, “Mrs. Adler, I ain’t sure I’ve got the smarts enough to learn about things not of this earth.”

Sadie rolled her eyes, “You ain’t foolin’ me with that dumb act.” Her fist punching into his arm, he chuckled lightly, “Ain’t no act m’fraid.”

They sit in silence for a couple minute, both looking up at the stars that flooded the sky. Sadie shivers in the wet grass, wishing she had pulled the blanket off Bob. She felt an arm hook around her as he pulled her closer, “You were gonna teach me something about stars?

Arthur’s heart was in his throat, what was he doing? He had no right to be alone with Mrs. Adler, laying in a field watching the stars. She was a married woman, this was completely inappropriate! But he had known that look, the feeling of crushing loneliness, that no one else seemed to understand. If he could help her even with that, being someone who had been there that would be something. Sadie pushed closer to his body craving the warmth, her head resting against his chest.

Sadie knew that she was putting herself in an inappropriate position, but he was so warm, and kind, she knew he wasn’t going to try anything. She hated herself for those feelings, the heat rose behind her eyes and her chest tightened. Jake had been dead for less than a year, and she was already in another man’s arms, out looking at the stars alone. She pushed the thought from her head. He probably just felt sorry for her, he knew what happened, he had been there, he saw her…knew what kind of men the O’Driscolls were. She reminded herself why they came out here, to lose themselves and forget the pain of now. To appreciate just how small they were in this world. Though she knew that pain would always be there, deep down. But for now, she could share some of what she and Jake had with another, and that was something.

“Can you at least name that one?” Sadie’s arm directing Arthur’s attention to the sky, her finger pointing to Polaris.

“Course I can, that’s the North Star.” his tone incredulous. “Everyone knows that…” his hand tracing along the handle of the little dipper constellation, “…that there is the little dipper. The big one’s around here somewhere.” His eyes scanning the sky as he tried to remember what Hosea had told him all those years ago about these stars. “There! They kinda look like circling fish, hunted by a bear…” the second part of the sentence said more out of repetition rather than knowing Ursa Major.

Sadie watched him, he looked genuinely proud of himself, she couldn’t help the smile on her face. “The Big Dipper is part of the Ursa Major, what a clever way to remember…” her finger guided along the rest of the Bear in the sky. “Ursa is Latin for bear…”

Her voice was quiet, “Jake knew all the Latin words meanings, he was the bookworm…” she felt his eyes on her, the heat bubbling behind her eyes she kept her gaze on the stars.

“I know it ain’t my place to say anything, but I think Jake’d be proud of how strong a woman you are.” His eyes sad, he tried to find the words she needed to hear, “You’re the strongest among us, Mrs. Adler.” The burn overwhelmed her vision and she blinked away the tears, turning her head to look at Arthur.

“What good is that strength if you have to lose everything to gain it?” her eyes rimmed with tears, searching his for an answer and seeing only the same familiar pain.

Arthur sighed, hooking her tighter into his side, his hand rubbed her arm sympathetically. “I guess its so you can use that strength to save others from havin’ to lose what you lost.” He turned his gaze back to the stars.

His words hung in the air, he felt her body shake against him, the silent sobs rocking her, his gaze continued exploring the sky. He knew where she was, to feel completely broken, not knowing how to pick up the pieces. The silence stretched on, he knew his presence was enough, slowly the shaking stopped, her breathing slowly returning to normal. They stayed there until the sun began to crest of the horizon, Arthur blinked the sleep from his eyes, stretching out on the ground, his body stiff from the cold, Sadie stirred at his side, curling closer into his side.

“We should probably head back, don’t want folks talkin’.” He pulled himself into a sit as Sadie curled even tighter in on herself against the cool morning air. Sadie stood up, stretching she whistled for Bob. Arthur clicked for his horse, swinging his leg up over the mare’s back.

“Arthur?” her voice still raspy with sleep, “Thank you.” Her eyes meeting his, so he knew there was no mistaking her meaning.  He nodded slightly a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. The remainder of their return was spent in comfortable silence, pulling off the road and into the trees outside camp.

“You know,” Sadie turned to Arthur, her smile teasing, “I think I’d like to get back into stargazing.”


End file.
